Finding Information During a Disaster
| Organization | Contact Information | Services Provided |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1-1 HOTLINE | 211 | Up-to-the-minute information including local social services referral, school closures and sandbag distribution centers. |
| BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES | 800-625-2257 | Available for impacted renters experiencing difficulties. |
| DISASTER LEGAL HOTLINE | 833-514-2940 | Assisting callers with legal advice and referrals. |
| FEMA INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE | FEMA Individual Assistance Info and Sign-up Form 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST | Individual Assistance is available to individuals and households in need of financial and direct services who have uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs. Impacted individuals with insurance are encouraged to apply. |
| FLORIDA BAPTIST DISASTER RELIEF | 904-253-0502 Text “Helene” to 27123 | Free help for homeowners, including storm debris cleanup, temporary roof tarping, chainsaw work, and muck outs. |
| FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (FDEM) | FloridaDisaster.org – Hurricane Helene Resources and Information | Water/supply distribution sites maps, disaster recovery center locations, free wifi hotspot finder, and many more essential resources. |
| HOPE FLORIDA: HURRICANE HELENE EMERGENCY RECOVERY ASSISTANCE | Hope Florida Helene Assistance Form 833-GET-HOPE (438-4673) | Activate Hope helps connect Floridians with outside resources to provide food, household goods, home repairs, and more. |
| RED CROSS HOTLINE | 800-RED-CROSS Red Cross: Hurricane Helene | Red Cross provides disaster-related assistance including sheltering, locating lost loved ones, and much more. |
| SAMARITAN’S PURSE | 833-747-1234 | Offering free assistance to homeowners affected by the disaster. Volunteers may assist with personal property removal, flood cleanup, sanitizing with shockwave treatment, chainsaw work, debris removal, and temporary roof tarping. |
| SBP DISASTER ASSISTANCE HOTLINE | (800) 276-9511 SBP Disaster Assistance | SBP’s Disaster Assistance Program helps disaster survivors access more funding to support their immediate and long-term needs. If you applied to FEMA and are wondering if you can appeal your award, the answer is yes. We currently have long-term rebuilding operations in select communities. Please contact us to learn about where we’re helping and to inquire about rebuilding assistance. |
| STATE ASSISTANCE INFORMATION LINE (SAIL) | 800-342-3557 | Residents in need of information and resources before and after Hurricane Helene. Floridians may access information from SAIL hotline operators on how to prepare before/during/after a hurricane, road closures and alternate routes, available/open shelters in host or impacted counties, shelters designed for special needs patients, hotels and motels that accept pets, boaters instructions for moving watercraft to safer ground, and re-entry information once it is safe to return to the affected area. |
FEMA Individual Assistance Program
Donating During a Disaster
Cash
Cash is the most flexible and effective form of donation. To donate to the Florida Disaster Fund, Florida’s private fund established to assist communities throughout disaster response and recovery, visit our website.
Confirm
If not donating cash, confirm that there is a legitimate need before collecting items and material donations. We also encourage volunteers to affiliate with established organizations and ensure that they are needed before visiting impacted areas.
Connect
Volunteers are a critical part of a well-coordinated disaster recovery effort. To volunteer, please review the information below under “Serving During A Disaster” and take advantage of our user-friendly Volunteer Connect search which includes the ability to filter and sort by date, location and type of need. Please be patient and do not self-deploy – organizations will contact qualified volunteers as soon as possible.
Food
Local food banks will provide goods to disaster survivors, and receive additional resources from other food banks. This means that their inventory is being depleted, in terms of serving their own clientele. We encourage individuals to give to those organizations. A food bank directory is available at www.feedingflorida.org to confirm the need for food donations.
Clothing
The Salvation Army and Goodwill are ideal, established organizations for donating clothing. Both organizations have the capacity to sort and process these donations, which is critical infrastructure other organizations do not have (especially in areas affected by disasters). These organizations typically provide vouchers for individuals to select items they need. They are also equipped to provide and track this voucher procedure. Even donating items in another area of the state can help, as these organizations will likely need to replenish items in areas affected by disasters.
For more information: https://www.fema.gov/assistance/volunteer-donate
Serving During a Disaster
When disaster strikes, Floridians immediately search for ways to serve affected communities. You can support disaster relief efforts by connecting to available volunteer opportunities through Volunteer Connect.
STEP 1: PLEASE DO NOT SELF-DEPLOY
For your safety and to support trained emergency response teams, please confirm with a disaster relief organization the need for volunteers and approval for your participation.
STEP 2: REMEMBER TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK.*
Be sure to have a clear understanding of volunteer assignments, safety measures and points of contact.
STEP 3: CLICK HERE FOR POSSIBLE DISASTER-RELATED OPPORTUNITIES.
Complete the Location and Distance fields for possible opportunities in your area.
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:
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- Immediate assistance for affected areas is provided by first responders, government groups, disaster relief organizations and affiliated volunteers who have already trained to serve.
- Each organization that mobilizes volunteers during disasters has its own process for accepting and managing unaffiliated volunteers.
- As our partner organizations assess needs and evaluate resources, they will begin to organize volunteer opportunities for unaffiliated (individuals who are not already connected to an organization) volunteers.
- Remember that recovery work continues for weeks, months and even years after disaster events occur. Organizations may have a significant need for volunteers in the weeks and months ahead. Check the site regularly for new opportunities.
- Transportation and lodging are the responsibility of the volunteer. Volunteer Florida serves as a connector between organizations and volunteer needs. We are unable to coordinate transportation or lodging.
*Volunteer Florida does not vet volunteer opportunities, but serves as a connector between organizations with volunteer needs and individuals who wish to serve. Please see Volunteer Connect Terms and Conditions here.
Florida Disaster Fund Grant Information
The Volunteer Florida Foundation administers the Florida Disaster Fund, Florida’s private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster.
Activation
At the discretion of the Foundation Executive Director and in coordination with the Office of the Governor, the need for direct fundraising efforts in response to a disaster will be established.
Ways to Donate
- Go to volunteerflorida.org and click “Donate” to donate by Credit Card, Paypal or Venmo.
- Mail a check made out to Volunteer Florida Foundation. Place “Florida Disaster Fund” in the memo line. Address: 1545 Raymond Diehl Rd., Ste 250, Tallahassee, FL 32308
- To download a copy of our W-9 (Taxpayer Identification Number), please click here.
Use of Funds
During and after the collection process and as immediate, short-term and longer-term needs are identified, the Executive Director of the Foundation, in discussion with staff and executive committee of the board of directors, will evaluate how to distribute the funds to non-profit entities between the two types of available grants.
- Immediate and Short-Term needs grants
- These grants will be given to Florida VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) members or Memorandum of Understanding partners (known entities that consistently respond before, during and after events to assist all Floridians affected by events) with Volunteer Florida. These are entities that are known to Volunteer Florida and have played a part in the immediate and short-term response to the event.
- Long term recovery grants
- These grants are awarded to nonprofits, faith-based organizations and local governmental entities through a comprehensive competitive process with specific instructions regarding purpose, i.e. must meet unmet needs of areas affected by a specific event.
- During this process, Volunteer Florida will hold technical assistance calls, budget assistance calls and record webinars and posts FAQs to ensure success for the applicants.
- These applications are reviewed and scored by staff and a selection of Commissioners and Foundation board members. A slate of awardees is recommended based on the scoring and the amount of funds available in the round of funding. The awards are approved by the full Foundation Board of Directors.
- These grants can be contracted for 1 year and will be cost reimbursement grants.
Communication of Funding Availability
- Volunteer Florida will communicate these long-term rounds of available funding via web site and email.
- Interested parties should sign up for our newsletter here or continue to check our web site here.